The Trump administration is reconsidering an Obama-era initiative to make U.S. Mint history by replacing Andrew Jackson with the 19th-century American abolitionist as the face of the $20 bill, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told CNBC on Thursday.

"Ultimately we will be looking at this issue," he said. "It's not something I'm focused on at the moment."

His comment triggered instant ire on social media from the plan's supporters, including Chelsea Clinton and David Simon, the creator of the TV show The Wire.

After nearly a year of debate, former Treasury secretary Jack Lew announced in April last year that Tubman will be placed on the front of the $20 bill while Jackson gets reassigned to the rear.

The decision was part of the department's broader efforts to redesign the $10, $20 and $5 bills and place female historical figures on the notes.

The new $20 bill and other redesigned notes were scheduled to be issued in 2020 to mark the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote.

Born into slavery, Harriet Tubman escaped to Philadelphia in 1849 only to return to the South to help hundreds of slaves reach freedom through a network of safe houses known as the Underground Railroad. Tubman also served as a spy for the Union Army during the Civil War and will soon replace Andrew Johnson on the $20 bill.(Photo: H.B. Lindsley, Library of Congress via AP)

But like many other plans from the Obama administration, tweaking the $20 note seems to have been lowered on Mnuchin's to-do list.

"People have been on the bills for a long period of time," Mnuchin said. "And this is something we will consider. Right now, we've got a lot more important issues to focus on."

Mnuchin said he was more focused on stopping counterfeiting. "So the issues of what we change will be primarily related to what we need to do for security purposes," he said. "I've received classified briefings on that. And that's what I'm focused on for the most part."

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If you got excited when the Treasury announced that civil rights activist Harriet Tubman would replace Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill, you’re gonna love this new coin! Susana Victoria Perez (@susana_vp) has more.
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"The decision to put Harriet Tubman on the new $20 was driven by thousands of responses we received from Americans young and old," Lew said in an open letter last year. "I have been particularly struck by the many comments and reactions from children for whom Harriet Tubman is not just a historical figure, but a role model for leadership and participation in our democracy."

In a statement, the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing said it "is in the early stages of redesigning the next family of U.S. currency. As noted in the Secretary’s remarks, security is the primary reason for redesign. Therefore, researching, developing, and testing robust security features has been the primary focus to date."